One Kid's Horrifying Story

Okay, I think I have to post this before anything else, as the peak of the holiday season is just around the bend.

I have a short story for you. This is true, mind you.

*****

A father and his kid daughter went into a mall one day. It was a big mall and everyone inside were busy as bees going about their last minute Christmas shopping. The holiday music playing at the background calmed no one, it was merely being drowned by a cacophony of footfalls and crowd murmur. There were a lot of tinkling and ringing and beeping but it was not at all musical. It was irritating, frightening even.

They proceeded into a department store. Parents would do what parents do in a mall and so would children. For adults, the mall is a place for business. For children, it is a playground with lots and lots of things to look at. A child's first impulse, understandably, would be to look for interesting things while their parents conduct their boring affairs.

So as the dad fleetingly looks away to talk to a saleslady about something, his daughter gravitates towards the adjacent aisles, mesmerized by stacks upon stacks of toys. It seemed apparent that diverging interests were intent on separating the two.

The child, after gazing at the wonders, soon enough took her pick. A pink "My Little Pony" toy was the request of the day. She turned around for her father, hoping that her doe eyes would ensure the purchase of the toy. What greeted her instead were unfamiliar and indifferent faces.

The shock came slowly but surely. Realizing that she was alone, the child began to search around the aisles. Her father should just be around there... somewhere? But he wasn't. He was nowhere.

"The car! He could be waiting for me at the parking lot!" the kid thought. She walked and scouted around, all the while attempting to recall how to get there, but every corner and hallway she went to looked the same. A lump in her throat began to swell.

It could have been around 30 minutes, maybe an hour? Or two? It seemed like forever for the panic-stricken little girl. Her fear began to escalate as a man in a blue uniform and hat started to follow her. He began talking and asking questions, but the girl did not answer. She was told by her parents never ever to talk to strangers.

She ran.

With her head throbbing and tears already flowing, she makes a move for the escalators. But another suspicious looking person in a suit quickly intercepts her...

*****

It is a true story! I swear!

How did it end? Well, the man in the blue suit uniform was a security guard and the other man who intercepted her was the store detective. She was then returned safely to her dad, who was also in tears.

I'm guessing that you already know who the kid in the story is? It definitely wasn't any fun, I tell you! ;p

But in all seriousness, who do you think the ordeal was more horrifying for?

One can never hope for a child to mind himself situations such as these. As always, it is only the parent who has the responsibility and capability to make sure that his or her child is safe and protected.

Here are some simple but indispensable "Do's and Dont's" of holiday child safety which you can keep in mind to avoid similar harrowing experiences.

There's no denying that the ending of the story could have been different, so it's certainly better to be extra cautious.

Now that I recall, I didn't even get to take home the pony!

Have a Happy Holidays ya'll! :)